Template:For Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox political party Vooruit ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}, Dutch for Forward) is a Flemish social democratic political party in Belgium. It was formerly known as the (Flemish) Socialist PartyTemplate:Refn (1978–2001: Socialistische Partij, SP; 2001–2021: Socialistische Partij Anders {{#invoke:IPA|main}} {{#if:Nl-Socialistische Partij Anders.ogg|{{#ifexist:Media:Nl-Socialistische Partij Anders.ogg|<phonos file="Nl-Socialistische Partij Anders.ogg"></phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Nl-Socialistische Partij Anders.ogg" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}, Template:Lit, SP.A) until 21 March 2021, when its current name was adopted.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The party was founded following the linguistic split of the unitary Belgian Socialist Party in 1978, which also produced the Francophone Socialist Party. The Belgian Socialist Party itself consisted of former members of the Belgian Labour Party. From December 2011 to September 2014, the party was part of the Di Rupo Government, along with its Francophone counterpart. In 2020, it re-entered federal government as part of the De Croo Government. The party has been a part of the Flemish Government several times.

HistoryEdit

1885–1940Edit

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1940–1978Edit

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Since 1978Edit

Template:Expand section Template:Social democracy sidebar The party was the big winner in the 2003 election, running on the SP.A–Spirit joint list (cartel) with the social-liberal party Spirit. Their share of the vote went up from 9% (of the total Belgian vote) to almost 15%, a second place in the number of votes. The main victim of this resurgence was the Green! party (formerly known as Agalev). SP.A was part of the "purple" federal coalitions of Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt from 12 July 1999 until 10 June 2007, which contained both the Flemish and Francophone liberal and social-democratic parties.

In 2004, the SP.A along with its partner Spirit lost the elections for the Flemish Parliament. Although they won more seats in comparison to the Flemish elections of 1999, their percentage of the vote compared to the successful 2003 federal elections was considerably down. The reputation of then party leader Steve Stevaert took a beating too.

The party was briefly led by Caroline Gennez, after former president Steve Stevaert left to become governor of Limburg. Johan Vande Lanotte, who served as Minister of the Budget in the federal Government, was elected President and resigned as minister to become President on 17 October 2005. He resigned 11 June 2007, after SP.A–Spirit lost the elections for the federal parliament of 10 June 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In these federal elections, the cartel won 14 out of 150 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 4 out of 40 seats in the Senate. Afterwards, Caroline Gennez was elected President by the party members.

As of May 2009, SP.A was in opposition in federal politics. Unlike its Francophone counterpart, the Socialist Party (PS), SP.A was not a participant in the Leterme II Government.

In January 2009, the party had apparently changed its name to Socialists and Progressive Differently (Dutch: Socialisten en Progressieven Anders). This name change was retracted and the party baseline was changed from Social Progressive Alternative (Dutch: Sociaal Progressief Alternatief) to Socialists and Progressive Differently (Dutch: Socialisten en Progressieven Anders).<ref>Naam van sp.a verandert niet, begeleidende slogan wel Template:Webarchive ("Sp.a name doesn't change, baseline does"), GvA, 17 January 2009</ref>

In the 2010 federal election, SP.A won 13 seats with 9% of the overall vote. The party was a member of the Di Rupo Government formed on 6 December 2011, until the elections in 2014. In the elections for the Chamber of Representatives on 25 May 2014, SP.A scored again 9% and received 13 seats, in contrast to their francophone Socialist Party counterparts, who lost 3 seats and whose share of the vote decreased by 2%. In the Flemish Parliament, SP.A have 18 representatives, deriving from around 14% of the vote—this is a small reduction on the 2009 parliament, where SP.A had 19 seats, deriving from 15% of the popular vote. From 2009–2014, SP.A participated in the Flemish Government, in an uneasy coalition with the CD & V and the N-VA. From 2014 onwards, SP.A formed part of the opposition in Flanders, as the regional government reflected the Flemish component of the federal administration, consisting of coalition of the Open-VLD, CD & V and the N-VA.

File:Vooruit, Back to the Climate 2021.jpg
Leaders and representatives at a climate march, October 2021

In January 2018, the party advocated for a "new socialism" and a "new equality".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2020, party leader Conner Rousseau announced a renaming of the party to Vooruit ("Forward").<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The new name was made official on 21 March 2021.

Political viewsEdit

Vooruit is a centre-left<ref name="Colomer2008">Template:Cite book</ref> Flemish social democratic party.<ref name="Nordsieck">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Slomp2011">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Almeida">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="AnttiroikoMälkiä2007">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="MuddeKaltwasser2012">Template:Cite book</ref> Equal opportunities and solidarity are central to the party. The party strives to ensure that those who earn the most or own the greatest wealth also pay the highest taxes so that the government can meet the needs of people who are less fortunate. Vooruit focuses on protecting the purchasing power of ordinary citizens. It opposes cuts in social security and advocates investment, especially in education and health care.<ref name="vrt20240322">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Non-primary source needed

SymbolsEdit


PresidentsEdit

Presidents of the SP<ref name=autogenerated1>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Period President
1978–1989 Karel Van Miert
1989–1994 Frank Vandenbroucke
1994–1998 Louis Tobback
1998–1999 Fred Erdman
1999–2001 Patrick Janssens
Presidents of SP.A/Vooruit<ref name=autogenerated1/>
Period President Vice-President
2001–2003 Patrick Janssens
2003–2005 Steve Stevaert Caroline Gennez
2005 Caroline Gennez (ad interim) N/A
2005–2007 Johan Vande Lanotte Caroline Gennez
2007–2011 Caroline Gennez Dirk Van der Maelen
2011–2015 Bruno Tobback Joke Quintens
2015–2019 John Crombez Stephanie Van Houtven
2019–2023 Conner Rousseau Funda Oru
2023–2024 Melissa Depraetere (ad interim)
2024–present Conner Rousseau

Members holding notable public officesEdit

European politicsEdit

European Parliament
Name Committees
Kathleen Van Brempt International Trade

Federal politicsEdit

Senate
Type Name Notes
Co-opted Senator Template:Flagicon Bert Anciaux Faction leader
Community Senator Template:Flagicon Kurt De Loor
Community Senator Template:Flagicon Katia Segers
Community Senator Template:Flagicon Annick Lambrecht
Belgian Federal De Croo Government
Public Office Name Function
Deputy Prime Minister Frank Vandenbroucke Social Affairs and Public Health
Minister Meryame Kitir Development Cooperation and Urban Policy

Regional politicsEdit

Flemish Parliament
Name Notes Name Notes
Template:Flagicon Hannelore Goeman Fraction Leader Template:Flagicon Conner Rousseau Party President
Template:Flagicon Kurt De Loor Community Senator Template:Flagicon Freya Van den Bossche
Template:Flagicon Annick Lambrecht Community Senator Template:Flagicon Steve Vandenberghe Mayor of Bredene
Template:Flagicon Maxim Veys Template:Flagicon Katia Segers Community Senator
Template:Flagicon Bruno Tobback Template:Flagicon Caroline Gennez
Template:Flagicon Hannes Anaf Template:Flagicon Els Robeyns Mayor of Wellen
Template:Flagicon Ludwig Vandenhove
Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region
Name Notes
Fouad Ahidar
Template:Ill
Template:Ill
Brussels Regional Government Vervoort II
Public Office Name Function
Minister Pascal Smet Urbanism, European and International Affairs, Foreign Trade, Fire Fighting and Emergency Medical Assistance

Provincial politicsEdit

Provincial Council
Province Percentage Seats
Antwerp Antwerp 12,80% Template:Composition bar
Limburg Limburg 20,10%° Template:Composition bar
East Flanders East Flanders 12,70% Template:Composition bar
Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant 12,10% Template:Composition bar
West Flanders West Flanders 15,80% Template:Composition bar

° In Limburg, SP.A formed a cartel with Groen.

Election resultsEdit

Chamber of RepresentativesEdit

File:Kamer-1978-2014.png
The main six Flemish political parties and their results for the Chamber of Representatives from 1978 to 2014 in percentages for the complete kingdom
Election Votes % Seats +/- Government
1978 684,976 12.4 Template:Composition bar Template:Yes2
1981 744,593 12.4 Template:Composition bar Template:No2
1985 882,200 14.6 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 6 Template:No2
1987 915,432 14.9 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0 Template:Yes2
1991 737,976 12.0 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 4 Template:Yes2
1995 762,444 12.6 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 8 Template:Yes2
1999 593,372 9.5 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 6 Template:Yes2
2003* 979,750 14.9 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 9 Template:Yes2
2007 684,390 10.3 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 9 Template:No2
2010 602,867 9.2 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1 Template:Yes2
2014 595,190 8.8 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0 Template:No2
2019 455,034 6.7 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 4 Template:Partial2
Template:Yes2
2024 566,436 8.1 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 4 Template:Yes2

SenateEdit

Election Votes % Seats +/-
1978 678,776 12.4 Template:Composition bar
1981 732,126 12.3 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0
1985 868,624 14.5 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 3
1987 896,294 14.7 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 1
1991 730,274 11.9 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 3
1995 792,941 13.2 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 8
1999 550,657 8.9 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 2
2003Template:Efn 1,013,560 15.5 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 3
2007 665,342 10.0 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 3
2010 613,079 9.5 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0

RegionalEdit

Brussels ParliamentEdit

Election Votes % Seats +/- Government
Template:Abbr Overall
1995 11,710 2.7 (#9) Template:Composition bar Template:Yes2
1995 9,987 2.4 (#9) Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0 Template:Yes2
1999Template:Efn 13,223 21.8 (#4) 3.1 (#8) Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0 Template:Yes2
2004Template:Efn 11,052 17.7 (#3) 2.4 (#8) Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 1 Template:Yes2
2009 10,085 19.5 (#2) 2.2 (#6) Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 1 Template:No2
2014 10,450 19.5 (#2) 2.3 (#8) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1 Template:Yes2
2019 10,540 15.1 (#3) 2.3 (#10) Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0 Template:Yes2
2024 8,045 10.0 (#6) 1.6 (#11) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1 Template:TBA

Flemish ParliamentEdit

Election Votes % Seats +/- Government
1995 733,703 19.4 (#3) Template:Composition bar Template:Yes2
1999 582,419 15.0 (#4) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 6 Template:Yes2
2004Template:Efn 799,325 19.7 (#4) Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 3 Template:Yes2
2009 627,852 15.3 (#3) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 3 Template:Yes2
2014 587,903 14.0 (#4) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1 Template:No2
2019 438,589 10.3 (#5) Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 5 Template:No2
2024 606,406 13.8 (#3) Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 5 Template:Yes2

European ParliamentEdit

Election List leader Votes % Seats +/- EP Group
Template:Abbr Overall
1979 Karel Van Miert 698,889 20.90 (#2) 12.84 Template:Composition bar New SOC
1984 979,702 28.13 (#2) 17.12 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 1
1989 Marc Galle 733,242 20.04 (#2) 12.43 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1
1994 Freddy Willockx 651,371 17.63 (#3) 10.92 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0 PES
1999 Frank Vandenbroucke 550,237 14.21 (#4) 8.89 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1
2004Template:Efn Mia De Vits 716,317 17.83 (#3) 11.04 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 1
2009 Kathleen Van Brempt 539,393 13.23 (#4) 8.21 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1 S&D
2014 555,354 13.18 (#4) 8.30 Template:Composition bar Template:Decrease 1
2019 434,002 10.21 (#6) 6.45 Template:Composition bar Template:Steady 0
2024 Bruno Tobback 570,067 12.64 (#4) 8.47 Template:Composition bar Template:Increase 1

NotesEdit

Template:Notelist

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

Further readingEdit

External linksEdit

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